Public officials call for tougher policies against corruption

Dec 09, 2008

Public officials have called for the strengthening of the fight against corruption in order to reduce poverty in the country.

By Cyprian Musoke

Public officials have called for the strengthening of the fight against corruption in order to reduce poverty in the country.

They were speaking on the Anti-Corruption Day that was marked yesterday, Ethics minister Nsaba Buturo urged leaders, who manage public resources, to change their mindsets, adding that legislations would not cure graft.

However, the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Francis Rwego, said the country had made significant achievements in the fight against corruption. They include the establishing of the ethics ministry, the Inspectorate of Government, a special court to prosecute the corrupt and the Police Standards Unit.

The Foundation for Human Rights Initiative executive director, Livingstone Ssewanyana, criticised the Government for not demonstrating commitment in punishing corrupt officials, especially those in power.

Local government accounts committee chairman Geoffrey Ekanya said corruption in Uganda has increased as shown by the poor quality of the roads, schools, and other services provided at the local level .

He appealed for the implementation of the national anti-corruption strategy. He said it was unfortunate that corrupt people are released on bail without recovering money from them.

Democratic Party president John Ssebaana Kizito said all indicators show that corruption has increased to the extent that it is difficult to expect service delivery without giving out a bribe.

The United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, attributed part of the current global financial crisis to greed and corruption.

“Confidence in the financial system has been battered. The integrity of many banks has been called into question. Many people have lost their life savings.

“Every year across the developing world, billions of dollars that are badly needed for health care, schools, clean water and infrastructure are stolen or lost through bribes and other misdeeds,” he said.

This, he added, makes it harder to provide basic services and achieve the Millennium Development Goals, thus denying people their fundamental human rights.

Ki-moon added that corruption weakens democratic institutions, undermines the rule of law and enables terrorists to finance their work.

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